Nomad Manual

Owner's Manual
The Spirit of Art in Technology
1317 Ross Street Petaluma, CA 94954

USA
Greetings from the Home of Tone
and Welcome to the Mesa/Boogie Family!
We would like to congratulate you on the purchase of your new Nomad Amplifier. If you
have not yet realized the power and versatility of this instrument, we hope this manual
will provide an enjoyable tour through the many stylistic regions this exciting platform
was born to roam. Hopefully after getting to know the channels and their modes and how
best to apply them to your music, the Nomad will lead you to the yet unexplored regions
of your own creativity and leave you with the map to return confidently time and again.
Inspired by the ancient peoples who left the security and comfort of their villages and set
out in search of answers and a deeper meaning to life, these amplifiers are vehicles of
exploration. So it is in tribute to these timeless bands of spiritual wanderers...we have
named these amps Nomads. And like those for which they are named, you will find them
at home in any musical land.
Your Mesa/Boogie Amplifier is a professional instrument. Please treat it with respect and operate it properly.
USE COMMON SENSE AND ALWAYS OBSERVE THESE PRECAUTIONS:
Do not expose amplifier to moisture, rain or water, direct sunlight or ex-

tremely high temperatures.
Always insure that amplifier is properly grounded.
Always unplug AC power cord before changing fuse or any tubes.
When replacing fuse, use only same type and rating.
Avoid direct contact with heated tubes.
Insure adequate air circulation behind amplifier.
Keep amplifier away from children.
Be sure to connect to an AC power supply that meets the power supply

specifications listed on the rear of the unit.
If there is any danger of lightning occurring nearby, remove the power plug
from the wall socket in advance.
To avoid damaging your speakers and other playback equipment, turn off
the power of all related equipment before
making the connections.
Do not use excessive force in handling control buttons, switches and

controls.
Remove the power plug from the AC mains socket if the unit is to be stored
for an extended period of time.
Do not use solvents such as benzene or paint thinner to clean the unit.
Wipe off the exterior with soft cloth.
Be sure to have the warranty card filled out by the store at which it was
purchased and return to Mesa/Boogie.
YOUR AMPLIFIER IS LOUD! EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND VOLUMES MAY CAUSE

PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE!
No user serviceable parts inside. Refer service to qualified personnel. Always unplug AC power
before removing chassis.
EXPORT MODELS: Always insure that unit is wired for proper voltage. Make certain grounding conforms
with local standards.
READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF PROPER USAGE.

Table of Contents
Precautions
Overview & Instant Gratification ________________________________________________________ 1 - 4
Tips for the Desert ___________________________________________________________________ 4 - 5
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS & SWITCHES

Gain, Master and Presence ____________________________________________________________ 5 - 7
Treble, Middle and Bass _______________________________________________________________ 7 - 9
CHANNEL MODES:
Channel 1 - NORMAL & PUSHED ______________________________________________________ 9 - 10
Channel 2 - NORMAL & MODERN _________________________________________________________ 10
Channel 3 - NORMAL & VINTAGE _________________________________________________________ 10
Graphic EQ & Sample Settings ( Nomad 100 Only ) __________________________________________ 11
Output & Solo Level Controls ____________________________________________________________ 12
Toggle Switches - HI VOLTS and AC MAINS ____________________________________________ 12 - 13
REAR PANEL CONTROL, SWITCHES & JACKS
Footswitch Connect, Fuse & Rotary Channel Select _________________________________________ 14

Recording Out, Speaker On / Speaker Mute and Bias Switch __________________________________ 15
FX Mix - Send & Return _________________________________________________________________ 16
Power Amp Voicing - Nomad 45 Only & 50 / 100 Watt Switch Nomad 100 Only ___________________ 17
Reverb _______________________________________________________________________________ 17
Speakers _____________________________________________________________________________ 17
Slave _________________________________________________________________________________ 18
Sample Settings ___________________________________________________________________ 19 - 25
Tube Description & Task Charts ______________________________________________________ 26 - 28
Tube Noise & Microphonics _____________________________________________________________ 29
Diagnosing Pre-Amp Tube Problems ______________________________________________________ 30
Bias Adjustment: a feature article by Randall Smith _______________________________________ 31 - 33
Speaker Impedance & Possible Hook-Up Schemes - Amplifier to Speaker Cabs ______________ 34 - 39
Triodes, Pentodes & Irishmen: a feature article on the workings of tubes _____________________ 40 - 42
Parts Sheets ______________________________________________________________________ 43 - 45
ALL TUBE AMPLIFIER
Overview:
Nomad amplifiers are available in many configurations in terms of power / speaker combinations, as well as head only formats. All
Nomad amplifiers share basically the same pre-amp and since most Mesa/Boogies are available in many choices as to power and
speakers, for all practical purposes, Nomad refers to this pre-amp.
Pre-Amp: The Nomad pre-amp is comprised of three discreet Channels which may be footswitched between. Each of these channels
offers two manually selectable Modes of operation. In basic terms, each of these modes offer a choice between a lower gain, slightly tamer
voice and a wilder, gainier personality. This is an extreme simplification of their individual character however, as they all move easily across
a wide range of sounds, prompting us not to limit them with the usual Rhythm and Lead nomenclature. Thus you will find them named and
referred to as Channels 1, 2 and 3.
NOMAD Showing all 3 Channels
CLEAN VINTAGE MODERN

(NORMAL) (NORMAL) (NORMAL)
CH1 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH3 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE
TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS

PUSHED MODERN VINTAGE
INPUT
The Modes have been named in each Channel for ease of comprehension and identification - especially for the first time pilot - with their
most common application labeled Normal. (Found with the mini-toggle in the up position.) When all three channels are normalled the
player is presented with one low-gain clean (Channel 1), one medium-gain, turbo vintage (Channel 2) and one high-gain modern channel
(Channel 3). In this way a great slice of the amplifiers many flavors can be sampled quickly and instantly from the Footcontroller.
For the more adventurous, the Channels may be switched out of their NORMAL Modes and three entirely new channels may be explored.
NOMAD Showing all 3 Channels (partial views)

PRESENCE PRESENCE PRESENCE
(Switch UP to (Switch UP to (Switch UP
BASS BASS BASS
NORMAL Position) NORMAL Position) to NORMAL
Position)
CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 2 CHANNEL 3

PAGE 1
Overview: (Continued)
Channel 1 switched to PUSHED reveals a much gainier region, perfect for all types of dirty chording or can be maxed for urgent high gain
soloing.
Channel 2 may be switched down to MODERN to unleash a tighter, meaner nature that works great for crunch rhythm or searing solo
sounds.
And Channel 3 can be switched down to VINTAGE where a more liquid, forgiving nature appears that when set low, can double as an
amazing clean mode.
After the initial gratification of these classic sounds has left most players amazed, the years of discovery begin, for while these sounds are
wonderful, they are, but a grain of sand in the vast untracked wilderness Nomad wanders.
POWER: While all Nomad pre-amps are the same, this by no means limits players as to a choice of a Nomad which will work best for
their individual style or needs. By combining this power-packed, comprehensive collection of discreet channels with three different and
distinct power section choices, there is a Nomad for any frontier.
Models: 45, 55 & 100
FRONT VIEW Nomad 45
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
OUTPUT SOLO ON ON
CH1 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH3 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE
INPUT
EL-84
45 DYNA-WATT
REAR VIEW Nomad 45

CH2 CH3 NOMAD ALL TUBE AMPLIFIER HANDBUILT IN PETALUMA, CA PWR AMP CH3 CH2 CH1
NORMAL
CH1 FTSW
FUSE
POWER FUSE REVERB

2.5 A SB REVERB
120V 2.5A
10% FX MIX 100%
EXTREME
50-60 Hz SLO
2A BLO 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM SLAVE
SPKR ON SPKR SPKR
WARNING: To reduce risk of fire or electric shock, WARNING: To reduce risk of fire or electric shock,
replace fuse with same type and rating only. Do replace fuse with same type and rating only. Do
FOOTSWITCH SPKR MUTE not expose this unit to rain or moisture.No not expose this unit to rain or moisture.No
user-serviceable parts inside. Refer
SOCKET servicing to qualified personnel. servicing to qualified personnel.
BELOW RECORDING SEND RETURN COMBO SPKR USE WITH TWO 8 OHM SPKR TO POWER AMP
The NOMAD 45: boasts forty-five watts of EL-84 magic with its harmonically rich layers of bubbly, bouncy tone and patented Dyna-
Watt Power that enables this bantam weight amp to act like twice its rated wattage. This Nomad exists on two chassis, the original
Boogie short chassis that is available as a 1x12 combo or as a short head. The littlest Nomad definitely, but by no means the understudy,
this compact dynamo may have the biggest personality of them all. The wider chassis accommodates a lightweight 2x12 combo, a 4x10
combo and a wider head for use with larger speaker enclosures. In these formats the Nomad 45 is unbelievably huge sounding and is
capable of covering much larger venues than would normally be associated with amps of this power rating.
PAGE 2
The NOMAD 55: represents the deal of the century with its robust 55 watts produced by two 6L6 pentodes. With ample headroom for
clean styles and a slightly brighter, more aggressive nature than its bigger brother the Nomad 100, the 55 lives in the region many players
consider the perfect wattage arena. This Nomad is also available in two chassis sizes so it can be configured to taste and need. A
widebody 1x12 combo optimizes the characteristics of a wider cabinet and a rear mounted speaker to produce a bigger, breathier sound
that is more vintage in nature. This chassis size also produces a great head only package. The 55 is also available as a mid-weight 2x12
or 4x10 combo with a wide head also possible in this chassis size.
FRONT PANEL Nomad 55
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN MODERN
VINTAGE
(NORMAL) (NORMAL)
GAIN MASTER PRESENCE (NORMAL) GAIN MASTER PRESENCE
CH1 CH2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH3 OUTPUT
TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS SOLO
INPUT
REAR PANEL Nomad 55

CH 2 CH 3
CAUTION ! CH 3 CH 2 CH 1
NOMAD ALL TUBE AMPLIFIER HANDBUILT IN PETALUMA, CA
CH 1
SWITCH MUST MATCH TUBES
FTSW
POWER FUSE
120V 2.5A
50-60 Hz SLO REVERB REVERB
2A BLO
10% FX MIX 100%
6L6 BIAS EL34
8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM SLAVE
FUSE SPKR ON SPKR SPKR
2.5 A SB replace fuse with same type and rating only. Do replace fuse with same type and rating only. Do
SPKR MUTE not expose this unit to rain or moisture.No
not expose this unit to rain or moisture.No
FOOTSWITCH servicing to qualified personnel. servicing to qualified personnel.
SOCKET BELOW RECORDING SEND RETURN COMBO SPKR USE WITH TWO 8 OHM SPKR TO POWER AMP
The NOMAD 100: is no doubt the ruling sultan of this band. With headroom for any situation and a richness of character that is only
found in 100 watt power sections, it is the obvious choice for those who find themselves in larger venues. An added bonus comes with the
Nomad 100 as well with the fitting of the on-board 5 band Graphic Equalizer. A long time Mesa/Boogie tradition, this powerful shaping
tool can either be footswitched in and out at will to enhance specific sounds - or engaged as a global shaping device to accommodate
certain rooms or playing situations.
The 100s sturdy 4x6L6 harness is found on two different chassis sizes as well, and the choices are the same as that of the Nomad 55. A
widebody Nomad 100 1x12 combo or head, as well as 2x12 and 4x10 combos and a wide head for use with any of our closed or open back
4x12 cabinets producing a sound that is...yes, huge!
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CH 1 (NORMAL) (NORMAL) CH 3 (NORMAL)
GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH 2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE GAIN MASTER PRESENCE OUTPUT
INPUT
80 240 750 2200 6600
PAGE 3
REAR VIEW Nomad 100
CAUTION ! CH3 CH2 CH1

CH2 CH3 NOMAD ALL TUBE AMPLIFIER HANDBUILT IN PETALUMA, CA 100 WATTS
CH1
FTSW
10% FX MIX 100% 50 WATTS REVERB REVERB
FUSE 6L6 BIAS EL34

SPKR ON SPKR SPKR
3 A SB
FOOTSWITCH SPKR MUTE not expose this unit to rain or moisture.No
No matter which of these many Nomad platforms you have chosen, the basic operation is the same and the experience playing them is
oo...fun and exhilarating. Before we get to specific Controls and Channels, here are some tips to get you playing and enjoying your Nomad
right away;
Tips for the Desert:
(1.) The REVERB Controls for all three Channels are located on the Rear Panel.
(2.) The Footcontroller connects to the chassis on the far left underside of the Rear Panel.
(3.) The Rear Panel Channel Select Rotary Must be set to Footswitch in order for the Footcontroller to call up the Channels and Functions.
The SOLO Control has no Effect on the signal until the Footcontroller is connected and Footswitch is selected on the Channel Select
Rotary.
(4.) The SOLO Control increases the volume from where the OUTPUT Control has been set.
(5.) The GAIN and TREBLE Controls are the most powerful controls in all the Channels. Use them with taste and remember that some of
the best sounds are found by using these two controls in their middle regions.
(6.) Extreme Volume Level Increases Occur when Ch. 1 & Ch. 2 mode switches are switched down to their alternate modes from
NORMAL to PUSHED and MODERN. Reduce Channel MASTER or OUTPUT Controls before selecting these modes !
(7.) Volume Level will drop when Ch.3 mode switch is switched down from NORMAL to the alternate VINTAGE mode. Compensate with
either Channel MASTER or OUTPUT Control.
(8.) When using the Effects Loop for external signal processing, the best tonal results will be obtained with the processors dry / wet mix
set to 100% and the FX Mix set as close to 10% as possible.
Hopefully these tips have saved you from any frustration and now that youve got everything connected, we have provided a few sample
settings that you might want to try in each channel, to more quickly familiarize you with the Nomads sonic possibilities.
These sounds and settings are by no means the only ones possible and as always, we encourage exploration and experimentation.
PAGE 4
Tips for the Desert: (Continued)
Quick Demo Settings:
Channel 1 NORMAL Clean Channel 1 PUSHED Crunch
CLEAN CLEAN
(NORMAL) CH1 GAIN (NORMAL)
CH1 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE MASTER PRESENCE
TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS
INPUT PUSHED INPUT PUSHED
Channel 2 VINTAGE Purring Blues Channel 2 MODERN Liquid Grind
VINTAGE VINTAGE
(NORMAL) PRESENCE (NORMAL)
CH 2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH 2 GAIN MASTER
MODERN MODERN
Channel 3 MODERN Spank Blues Channel 3 VINTAGE Violin Gain
MODERN MODERN
(NORMAL) (NORMAL)
CH 3 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH 3 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE
VINTAGE VINTAGE
The Controls:
Before we get to each individual control and how they interact with each other, there is one thing they all have in common. They all have
sweet spots. These regions move around the clock face in accordance with several factors such as the style of sound you are dialing for,
pick-up height, pick-up strength, your individual picking technique and the type of speaker and cabinet your Nomad is driving.
To attain the best tone and performance from your amplifier, we recommend that you spend time learning the sweet spots of each control
and how they affect the function of the other controls. This way you will be able to dial virtually any sound you wish in any channel quickly
and accurately.
PAGE 5
The Controls: (Continued)
GAIN : This control adjusts the predominant gain stage in each channels circuit with the function and taper being optimized for each
individual channel. Remember that your Nomad is really three separate dual mode amplifiers built onto one chassis, so though each
channel looks identical, the GAIN Control for each channel comes in a different place and adjusts a
Most Balanced
Brightest Warmer
different point in that channels circuit.
In most guitar amplifiers, and especially in all-tube circuits, the GAIN Control is the most powerful
control in the preamp. It shapes the overall style and character of the sound and is responsible for
whether the sound is clean, overdriven or anywhere in between. In your Nomad, the GAIN Control
CH1 is even more powerful. It not only determines the amount of drive, but also acts as an integral part of
GAIN the tone control string as well.
INPUT TREBLE
To simplify the GAIN Controls role in shaping the overall tone of the sound we will look at it in two
ways - 1; alone and 2; in conjunction with the tone controls.
1) By itself the GAIN Control has basically three tonal regions -
Low ( 7:00 - 11:00 ) provides the cleanest, least saturated sounds and in this region the sound will be brighter and contain more upper
harmonics lending a three dimensional character to the sound.
Middle ( 11:15 - 2:00 ) enhances the saturation and replaces some of the upper harmonics with a richer, warmer quality and a fuller
bottom end response. Not yet fully saturated, this region is the easiest place to get a great sound in all three channels. This region contains
many of the Nomads best sounds...especially for soloing due to the crucial blend of an expressive attack combined with ample sustain.
High ( 2:15 - 5:00 ) saturates the signal and enhances low and low mid frequencies. While this region provides the maximum saturation
and therefor sustain, it also compresses and softens the attack characteristics. For this reason we suggest using this higher region of the
GAIN Control sparingly and only when maximum sustain is needed.
NOTE: Due to the Nomads extreme gain potential, the highest regions of the GAIN Control may possibly push the pre-amp tubes past
what they can handle, producing microphonic squealing. While we screen and test the tubes your amplifier was shipped with and the tubes
in your amp passed our rigourous test, we cant predict how the tubes will respond over time exposed to extreme gain settings. Your tubes
are warrantied for a period of 6 months under normal use, but you can save yourself the present and future inconvenience of having to deal
with annoying microphonic tube problems by simply using a little common sense...Dont turn the Gain all the way up!
If you must for a specific part or at very low volumes, back down the TREBLE and PRESENCE Controls. Your Nomad was designed to
provide amazing gain and tone at less than extreme settings removing the need for you to crank everything all the way up. If you are not
able to achieve the sound you want at sensible settings on any or all of the controls, your problem may lie elsewhere in the signal chain,
i.e. pick-ups, cabinetry, processing etc. Keep in mind you can always call on one of our product specialist Monday through Thursday and
seek some advice should you find yourself struggling to get the sound you want.
2.) GAIN - In conjunction with the Tone Controls -
Basically, a simple rule applies...as the Gain is increased the Tone control string has less and less effect on the signal until at 5:00 the
signal is so saturated that you are getting mostly Gain and very little Tone. Again, this is the reason we suggest using the GAIN Control in
its middle region. Here the Tone control string is very active and provides maximum shaping power - allowing you to dial virtually any
sound you desire.
PAGE 6
MASTER : This control is the master feed from the end of the pre-amp to the driver stage and the Effects Loop. As you can see each
Channel is fitted with its own MASTER Control, enabling the three channels relative volumes to be matched regardless of their extremely
different sound styles and gain signatures. The MASTER Control makes possible
MOST SENSIBLE RANGE a wide range of sounds through its ability to use very low Gain sounds at high
EASIEST TO BALANCE CHANNELS
REASONABLE FX LOOP SIGNAL LEVELS volumes and conversly, high Gain sounds at low volumes and everywhere between.
Again, we suggest using the MASTER Control in its sensible ranges ( 9:00 - 2:00 ).
Here, the channels will be easier to match with each other and the Effects Loop will
see more reasonable signal levels.
NOTE: Because the MASTER Control creates the send to the Effects Loop, ex-
treme settings will cause a large signal to be sent to the Loop for that Channel. Not
CH1 GAIN
only may this cause possible overloading of the processors Input stage, but will
TREBLE MASTER make balancing the three channels Effect Send level difficult.
INPUT MID
PRESENCE : This control regulates the amount of negative feedback in the power amp stage and affects mostly higher frequencies.
It acts independantly of the other rotary tone controls and is crucial
MOST BALANCED VOCAL QUALITY
in voicing the Channel. It is a powerful global tone control.
Lower PRESENCE Control settings darken and, in fact compress

the signal which works well to fatten single note solo sounds, giving
them girth and focus. Some of the best lead sounds in your Nomad
will find the PRESENCE Control in its lower regions, where a bal-
anced, vocal response is achieved.
CH1 GAIN MASTER

TREBLE MID PRESENCE
INPUT BASS
TREBLE : As in most tube guitar amplifiers, the TREBLE Control ( in all three channels of your Nomad ) is the most powerful of the
rotary controls and is next in line only to the GAIN Control as a shaping tool. Because it is first in the signal path of the tone controls - and
from here the Middle and Bass receive their signal - it is by far the dominant tone control. For this reason the setting of the TREBLE Control
is very important for equal representation of the three frequency regions to appear at their re-
SWEET SPOT
spective controls. Like most of the controls on your Nomad, there is an optimum region of the
TREBLE Control where ample top end is mixed in and yet enough signal is still passed on to the
TREBLE MIDDLE and BASS Controls.
CH1
As you might surmise, here is the sweet spot. There are definitely great sounds above and below
INPUT this middle region ( 11:00 - 1:30 ), but the balance between the TREBLE Control and the other
two tone controls is compromised.
PAGE 7
TREBLE : (Continued) The one place you may want to throw caution to the wind and set the TREBLE Control above this median
zone presents itself in Channel 1. In both modes ( Clean & Pushed ) the TREBLE Control can be used to dump extra gain into the mix. This
is especially effective in the PUSHED mode for crunch sounds. When doing so use the PRESENCE Control to roll off some of the more
than ample top end for a more compressed feel and fatter voice. As you might surmise, the BASS Controls effectiveness will be reduced,
so you may have to run a much higher setting than you are used to seeing to achieve a balance.
MID : The MIDDLE Control is responsible for the blend of midrange frequencies in the mix and though its effect is not as dramatic as
that of the TREBLE Control, it plays an integral part in achieving any sound in your Nomad. It is capable of changing the feel dramatically
as it blends in a group of frequencies that tend to soften or stiffen the way a
HELPS ADD PUNCH TO sound feels to play.
WEAKER PICK-UPS
GAIN MID Most players tend to lean in the direction of lower MIDDLE Control settings (
CH1 TREBLE 7:00 - 11:00 ) where a scoop in this region produces girth ( by letting the Bass
become a little more dominant ) and a lack of punch lends a more compressed,
even feel to the strings and therefore less apparent resistance to the pick. As
INPUT
the MIDDLE Control is increased, ( 11:30 - 1:30 ) the sound is rounded-out and
filled-in with a focused mid attack appearing rather quickly. As you would guess,
the feel starts to change - becoming more resistant. Above this region the
MIDDLE Control could be used to compensate for either weaker pick-ups or for
SCOOPED AND EASY TO PLAY times when a specific deficiency is produced by either an extremely high setting
of other tone controls, or a physical anomaly in the room. While these MIDDLE Control settings ( 2:00 - 5:00 ) can introduce added gain
and create enhanced focus, the trade-off will be a stiffer, more forward, less compressed feel.
Channel 1 utilizes a different MIDDLE Control than that of the Channels 2 and 3 with a custom-designed taper and value. In its low
range ( below 12:00 ) it functions as a normal midrange control with a taper suited to blending fine increments of these frequencies. Most
players lean toward a fairly radical scoop ( 7:00 - 10:30 ) for clean playing, preferring to let Treble and Bass remain dominant, thus
producing the signature sparkle and breath essential for a pristine clean sound.
As Channel 1s MIDDLE Control is swept past 1:00, it quickly starts to add gain in these midrange frequencies adding cut and punch. As
the top end of the control is reached, ( 3:00 - 5:00 ) it becomes an additional gain control capable of taking both CLEAN and PUSHED
modes to extremes. Experiment with this cranked region in conjunction with extreme settings of the other tone controls to balance both
sound and feel. While this added flexibility may make Channel 1s MIDDLE Control a little more tricky to learn at first, it will become quite
valuable as you start to realize the power of this super versatile channel.
BASS : Last, but definitely not least in the string of tone controls we, come to the BASS Control. This control works similarly in all three
channels in that it determines the amount of low frequencies present in a sound. However, the actual frequencies and style of lows it mixes
in changes from channel to channel. Like the MIDDLE Control, it falls in line signal-wise after the TREBLE Control and the same scheme
applies. When the TREBLE Control is set high the effectiveness of
VARIABLE ACCORDING the BASS and MIDDLE Controls is reduced. If the TREBLE Con-
TO TREBLE & MID CONTROL
trol is set low these two controls become dominant.
GAIN MASTER
BASS
CH1 TREBLE MID For the most balanced sound and a balance of power between the
three rotary tone controls, try to use the TREBLE Control in its
middle ranges. This scenario produces nearly equal representa-
INPUT
tion of all the frequencies on the tone controls and provides a great
nuetral starting point for further tweaking.
PAGE 8
BASS: (Continued) The Bass frequencies are, as we mentioned, different in each channel and appear as follows:
CHANNEL 1: Enhanced low and sub-low regions provide warmth and most importantly, breath for clean sounds which produces a
bouncy, elastic feel and natural sounding fundamental, yet with plenty of air.
CHANNEL 2: Sub-low extension defines this channels bottom end character and produces the deepest sounds in your Nomad. This is
the fattest channel for single note work and chording will sound huge...especially when higher GAIN Control settings are applied. If you are
not careful with the BASS Control in this channel - it may spoil you and leave you with a good case of EQ overhang...leaving the other
channels sounding almost thin by comparison.
Also, dont be surprised if at first, Channel 2 feels slower and a bit harder to steer. It can take a while for your picking technique to adjust
to pushing around a sound of this girth. You will adjust and quickly find that these extra-low lows make for some unbelievable solo sounds.
CHANNEL 3: In this channel the opposite approach is taken and the emphasis is not on how low can you go, but rather how tight can you
get. By raising the low frequencies and focusing on how well they track - and stop after the note sounds, a totally different personality
emerges. This tracking characteristic adds bounce to both chording and single note styles and is essential for urgent high gain rock
sounds. Due to its higher, tighter nature this BASS Control may be set higher than that of the other two channels without the feel of
becoming slow or clumsy. In fact, this is the one control you can even run all the way up without worry.
NOTE: Do Not run the Bass all the way up in any channel when using the direct Recording Output ! Damage to the playback
monitors could occur. When using the direct Recording Output, start with the Bass set relatively low and set conservative ( safe ) input
levels at the console first. When levels are satisfactory you may then increase the BASS Control slowly and adjust levels as you go in
order to prevent damage to playback monitors.
Channel Modes:
As mentiond earlier, each of the Nomads three channels contain two different modes so that each channel may be configured for an array
of different sound styles. These opposing modes are selected by the mini-toggle switch located inside each channels borders. The upper
position of the toggle in each channel is labeled NORMAL and calls up the primary sound for that channel. This scheme allows for quick
demo tours through the three channels and provides the fastest understanding of the footswitchable possibilities with quickly identifiable
sounds. Once this configuration has been auditioned and the channels explored, the modes can be drastically modified by a simple flick
of the switch. As you will hear, these switches alter the voice of each channel radically as several different internal changes occur per
channel. How you choose to utilize these alternate sounds is up to you and experimentation can lead to some of the most versatile
footswitching you could find in any amplifier.
Channel 1 NORMAL / PUSHED CLEAN / NORMAL: This is the lowest gain circuit of the Nomads six modes and is opti-
mized for producing balanced pristine clean sounds. For the best understanding of how to
achieve a great sound in this mode, please refer back to the GAIN Control section of this
manual. However, a great place to start is 12:30 or so on the GAIN Control with more sparkle
CH1 GAIN
CLEAN
(NORMAL)
available below this and more warmth apparent above...from there adjust according to your
MASTER PRESENCE
TREBLE MID BASS guitars individual response.
INPUT PUSHED
Because of its more traditional architecture this mode also works extremely well for vintage
style drive sounds. By turning the gain all the way up, a beautiful old school solo sound is
possible...especially with neck single coil pick-ups. The TREBLE and MIDDLE Controls can
also add gain and sustain to this sound ( reduce Presence to blend highs ), but you will probably want to run the BASS Control below 10:30
to avoid flubbiness and preserve a focused attack.
PAGE 9
Channel Modes: (Continued)
PUSHED: This mode is a radical departure from the sweet shimmering blend of the CLEAN / NORMAL modes low gain character. Huge
increases in gain early on in the first stages of the pre-amp produce one of the biggest differences between modes in the entire amplifier
and transforms what you thought to be a tame and gentle clean channel into a raging crunch machine. This incredible amount of gain also
creates one of the most expressive solo modes in your Nomad. Because there are less stages of gain for the signal to travel through and
the tone control network is tuned for the brighter nature of clean sounds, this mode responds quicker to your pick attack and has a more
urgent, snappy feel. Dont overlook this mode for some of the Nomads best overdrive solo sounds.
Channel 2 NORMAL / MODERN VINTAGE / NORMAL: The first of Nomads high gain lead channels was endowed with an
orange LED indicator not by accident. The warm glow reminded us of smoldering embers...a fire
burning warm with all the comforts of home. Upon first playing Channel 2s VINTAGE/NORMAL
mode most players stop - grin - and say one word...FAT. This mode has been optimized to round
VINTAGE
(NORMAL)
out single notes and enrich their character with creamy, warm drive. You will quickly discover
CH2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE
TREBLE MID BASS that this mode has no optimum setting as it presents the entire range of the control with amazing
MODERN balanced lead sounds. Set low ( Gain at 9:30 and below ), it doubles as a low gain chording or
blues sound that purrs with vintage authenticity. From there on up to 3:00, many different styles
of solo sounds are available that work great with either single coil or humbucking pick-ups and
no matter how you serve it up its always gonna be big... huge !
MODERN: This mode had its early beginnings in an idea that sprang to life in the late eighties and found its way on to our Dual Rectifier
Solo Head called Channel Cloning. Well, as usual we ended up going far beyond the original idea and now this mode is simply a more
aggressive, over the top, hardcore version of the already monsterous Channel 2 NORMAL mode. This sound is the hugest rock sound in
the Nomad and for all out girth, it tips the scales. The same stylistic ranges apply as those of the NORMAL mode, but the top end of the
GAIN Control unleashes the true beast within, and should be experienced with a hot humbucking pick-up to really appreciate its footprint.
NOTE: Reduce the MASTER Control when switching from VINTAGE NORMAL to MODERN as internal changes
in the circuit increase volume levels dramatically !
Channel 3 MODERN / VINTAGE MODERN / NORMAL: This mode is the hyper stallion in the Nomad camp. An enhanced
attack region and a brighter overall response combined with a slightly higher low end curve give
Channel 3s NORMAL mode the edge when it comes to speed and agility. The nature of this
mode is the polar opposite of Channel 2s languid, slowhand purr.
MODERN
GAIN MASTER (NORMAL)
CH 3 PRESENCE
TREBLE MID BASS It bounces to life with the slightest of glances from the pick and can stop on a dime whether
VINTAGE maxed out or running stripped. Again, like Channel 2s NORMAL, this mode handles low gain
single coil styles and high gain humbuck sounds with equal attitude... and we do mean attitude!
VINTAGE: This slightly detuned, warmer rendition of Channel 3s NORMAL mode makes it
possible to use Channel 3 for some of the sounds you might like in Channel 2 and though the Bass frequencies are a little higher, they are
just as amazing. By offering a way for each channel to lean toward the other, many possible configurations appear and the footswitching
applications are expanded greatly.
You might wish to use Channel 2 NORMAL for a semi-clean rhythm mode and Channel 3 VINTAGE for a blues style solo sound. Con-
versely, you might need Channel 3 NORMAL to cover your high gain ( maybe Channel 1 PUSHED for lower gain ? ) crunch rhythm stuff
- and Channel 2 MODERN for a crazy, blistering solo sound. There are a myriad of ways to configure the Channels 2 & 3 and so many
great combinations of mode swapping that will make your footswitching allocations less confining, freeing you up to play your best.
PAGE 10
5 BAND GRAPHIC EQUALIZER : ( Nomad 100 Only ) If you have purchased the Nomad 100 you have probably already realized
that the bonus gift of the On-Board 5 Band Graphic Equalizer is well worth the omission of the beautiful, but stoic, Nomad logo. This long
time Boogie tradition is a powerful shaping tool and when added to the already
fully evolved Channels of the Nomad, any sound you can dream of is at your
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
fingertips. It may be assigned to the signal path globally or footswitched In and
EQ
ON ON Out at will.
IN
OUTPUT
EQ SOLO The five wide-band sliders offer the full spectrum of frequencies in a guitar-
FTSW
friendly format that is infinately easier and faster to use than either narrow-
80 240 750 2200 6600 band graphic or parametric type equalizers. There is a more gentle blend be-
tween the regions and therefore less likelyhood of holes in the tone and re-
sponse, resulting in a musically smart system of shaping guitar
sounds...especially overdrive sounds.
NOTE: When the EQ is switched out there will be a small amount ( 3% max. ) of its effect still on the signal. This small amount should
cause no problem and is considered normal. This is essential to achieve seamless footswitch operation.
Here are a few examples of how we have seen players utilize this powerful shaping device, with the classic V curve and its amazing
widening effect being the most popular for almost any style.
1. The fabled "V" shape ( Most Popular )

2.
80 240 750 2200 6600 80 240 750 2200 6600
3. 4.
80 240 750 2200 6600 80 240 750 2200 6600
PAGE 11
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued)
OUTPUT CONTROL : This control determines the overall output volume level of the amplifier. After the GAIN Controls have been set
for the desired sound style and the three channels levels have been balanced with their respective channel MASTER Controls, the
OUTPUT Control allows you to change the playing volume level of the entire amp by adjust-
ing a single control. The OUTPUT Control is also wired as the Effects Loop Return Level
Control. Should you ever use your Nomad as a power amp alone by inserting a signal into
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
the RETURN jack, the OUTPUT Control will serve as the master level control.
ON ON
NOTE: When using the EFFECTS RETURN as an input - to use the Nomad as a power
OUTPUT amp - the SOLO Control can be used to attain a footswitchable boost if the Footcontroller is
connected. It is wired in parallel to the OUTPUT Control and therefore also controls the vol-
SOLO
ume of the power section.
NOTE: The Effects Loop RETURN jack can serve as a power amp input so that you may use
your Nomad as a power amplifier for either stereo reproduction or to incorporate additional
pre-amps. While the possibilities for this type of application are virtually limitless, there are a
few things to remember that will help you when interfacing to the Nomad for use as a power amp only;
1.) Connect Dummy plug or loose cable to SEND jack. ( This prevents any possible loading that could result in diminished RETURN
sensitivity.)
2.) The OUTPUT Level Control will be the only active control on the Front Panel.
3.) The SOLO Control may be used to footswitch in a pre-determined amount of boost when the footcontroller is connected.
SOLO CONTROL : This control can only be activated if the correct Footcontroller is connected to the Footswitch DIN jack.
SOLO is an additional final output level control wired in parallel with the OUTPUT Control. It is capable of a setting above that of the
OUTPUT Control and can not be set below. The amount of apparent boost also depends on that of the OUTPUT Control - in that if the
amplifier is at either the extreme low or extreme high levels of the OUTPUT, its effectiveness is
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON minimized. Its been optimized for live performance medium range volume levels.
OUTPUT
If the power section is either not a part of the sound (super quiet), or producing all its rated
SOLO wattage ( super loud), there is very little signal for the SOLO Control to work with. By using the
Footswitch and selecting SOLO, a pre-settable boost in overall level is possible on the fly...giving
you some control over your levels when its time to step out. Engineers may give you a bit of a
frown the first time you use it...but isnt it time you heard yourself. It might even prevent them from
punishing you with the dreaded monitor or sidefill version of your tone.
HI VOLTS : Perfect for set breaks... this toggle switch also serves an even more important purpose. When the toggle is in the down
position the tubes are at idle so that during power up they may warm up before being put to use. Before
A.C. Mains is switched on, make sure the switch labeled HI VOLTS is in the down position. Wait at
HI VOLTS AC MAINS least 30 seconds and then flip this switch to its ON position. This helps in preventing tube problems and
ON ON increases their toneful life substantially.
PAGE 12
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued)
AC MAINS : This switch delivers the A.C. power to the Nomad. Make sure the unit is grounded (all three terminals of the A.C. power
cord must be connected whenever possible to avoid injury to the user as well as to the unit) and that
the proper voltage is present.
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON Follow the cold start procedure described in the previous section titled HI VOLTS when powering up
your Nomad.
Well, now that you have an understanding of the controls and modes and how they interact with each other, its time to enjoy your Nomad
with a good long exploration session. Ride that camel...and when your ready for a break we will spin round to the back side and take a look
at the features residing aft. Meanwhile, enjoy and may the wind be at your back !
REST AREA
PAGE 13
REAR PANEL CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS:
CAUTION ! CH3 CH2 CH1
CH2 CH3 NOMAD ALL TUBE AMPLIFIER HANDBUILT IN PETALUMA, CA 100 WATTS
CH1
FTSW
10% FX MIX 100% 50 WATTS REVERB REVERB
FUSE 6L6 BIAS EL34

SPKR ON SPKR SPKR
3 A SB
FOOTSWITCH SOCKET : This 7 Pin DIN type socket located on the underside of the chassis accepts the Nomad Footcontroller
cable. To use the Footcontroller to select the channels and features;
1.) Connect the Footcontrollers attached cable here by lining up the tab on the cable with the detent on the cable sleeve.
2.) Select Footswitch on the Channel Select Rotary control located above on the Rear Panel.
3.) Select the desired Channel or Feature.
FUSE : The Nomad 45 and 55 require a fuse with a rating of 2.5 amps - while the Nomad 100 utilizes a fuse with a 3 amp rating. All
three models are fitted with Slo-Blo type fuses and should replacement be necessary in the future, replace the Fuse with the same type
and rating. For export models please contact your dealer for specifics regarding your model of Nomads power requirements.
CH2 CH3 Definitely warm up the tubes first with the amplifiers HI VOLTS switch in its down position. Then
CH1 FTSW carefully watch the tubes as you flip the HI VOLTS switch to its ON position - (switch up.) If you see a
tube arc or spark inside, that is definitely the problem and can be remedied by an easy power tube
replacement. In many cases though, the bad tube will only fail intermittently. Watch for a while and if
any tubes start to run red-hot, this is the cause of your original problem. If everything appears OK, tap
FUSE on each power tube to reveal the faulty one, because a blown Fuse is nearly always caused by a bad
power tube (s). (See the section on tube maintenance further back in this manual for more assistance
3 A SB
and helpful hints on how to maintain the life of the power tubes).
FOOTSWITCH
SOCKET
BELOW RECORDING
ROTARY SELECT: Use this Rotary Select switch when you happen to be without your Nomads Footcontroller. Rotating this switch
allows you to select a particular channel manually.
CH2 CH3
However, in order to use the Footswitch Controller this rotary must be set to the Footswitch position.
CH1 FTSW
FUSE
3 A SB
FOOTSWITCH
SOCKET
BELOW RECORDING
PAGE 14
REAR PANEL CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS: (Continued)
RECORDING OUT : This 1/4 jack captures the sound of your Nomads pre-amp and shapes the sound, enabling direct insertion into
a console for both recording and live reinforcement applications. It produces a mono signal and can send a level that should be adequate,
if not optimum, for most mixing consoles. The level of each Channel is dependant on the Channels
CH2 CH3 MASTER Control. Less saturated sounds will produce greater dynamics and therefor a stronger sig-
CH1 FTSW nal at this Output with Channel 1 Normal producing the potentially hottest level. It is always good
practice to start with the consoles Input attenuator off and bring the level up slowly - to avoid damage
to playback monitors in case you have inadvertantly dialed up an extreme signal level.
FUSE Brightness and upper harmonics may be adjusted by the PRESENCE Control to balance the three
sounds and is especially important to great solo sounds in Channels 2 & 3.
3 A SB
FOOTSWITCH
SOCKET
Also, remember to use the BASS Control with care when using the Recording Output to interface to a
BELOW RECORDING console. Extreme settings can potentially cause damage to your playback monitors.
SPKR ON / SPKR MUTE: This two position mini-toggle mutes the signal at the driver stage to allow direct recording late at night or
any time the sound of the speaker(s) is not apropriate. SPKR ON (up) allows the power section to receive signal and produce sound.
SPKR MUTE ( down ) stops the signal at the driver stage - sending it to the RECORDING
FUSE
SPKR ON Output only.
3 A SB
NOTE: For personal monitoring of your Nomad without any sound from the speaker the
FOOTSWITCH
SOCKET
SPKR MUTE Recording Output may also be used to drive a pair of heaphones. Extreme caution should
BELOW RECORDING be used to avoid damaging your ears or the headphones since the level is optimized for
consoles ...making it a bit hot for the headphone application. Start with the Channel
MASTER Controls off and slowly increase to the desired level.
BIAS SELECT - Nomad 55 & 100 Models: Nomad 55 and 100 models incorporate a Bias select switch to enable you to use the
stock compliment of 6L6 power pentodes or switch safely to one ( or two ) pair of EL34 type tubes. Switching from the stock 6L6 harness
will revoice the entire amplifier with a distinct emphasis on upper harmonics and a top
end spread that may be preferred for certain styles. The 6L6s provide the most bal-
CH2 CH3 CAUTION !
CH1
SWITCH MUST MATCH TUBES anced response across the wide spectrum of sounds possible in the three channels,
FTSW
but some amazing and different sounds are possible with the EL34s and at some
point we suggest experimenting with these tubes...especially in the studio! The multi-
6L6 BIAS EL34 track domain puts less emphasis on channel switching versatility and more on spe-
FUSE
cific, identifiable sounds so that any global compromise is not a problem. The EL34s
SPKR ON
tend to work best in all three channels when they are used in conjuntion with lower
3 A SB GAIN and higher MASTER or OUTPUT Control settings...turning up the power amp
FOOTSWITCH
SPKR MUTE showcases their classic response best . Channel 1 in both modes is our favorite atti-
SOCKET
BELOW RECORDING tude adjustment, with low GAIN Control settings in Channels 2 & 3 following close
behind due to slightly decreased focus - as compared with the 6L6s.
NOTE: The BIAS SELECT MUST BE SET TO MATCH THE TUBES IN USE ! Failure to check this switch could result
in damage to your amplifier. ALWAYS CHECK THE BIAS SELECT WHEN SWAPPING TUBE TYPES !
PAGE 15
SEND, RETURN & FX MIX: Your Nomad is fitted with a parallel effects loop to provide optimum interfacing of outboard signal
processing. In this way the maximum amount of pure amp signal with its attack character and warmth is retained because a large amount
of dry amp sound can be mixed with a small amount of a very wet
CH2 CH3 CAUTION !
processed signal. To use the Effects Loop for your processors follow
CH1 FTSW
these steps.
Using 2 good quality sheilded cables of the shortest possible length -

6L6 BIAS EL34
10% FX MIX 100%
FUSE 1.) Connect the SEND to your processors Input.
SPKR ON
3 A SB 2.) Connect the RETURN to your processors Output.
SPKR MUTE
FOOTSWITCH
SOCKET
BELOW RECORDING SEND RETURN 3.) Choose your Modes and sounds in all Channels and balance the
levels with the MASTER Control.
4.) Since the MASTER Controls the amount of signal that appears at the SEND try to acheive a relative balance between the Channels
with the MASTER Control (of each respective channel) set somewhere between ( 9:00 - 1:00 ).
Adjust the overall listening level with the OUTPUT Control.
5.) Set your Processors Dry/Wet mix as close to 100% Wet ( all effect ) as possible.
6.) Dial in the amount of processed signal you wish to use with the FX MIX Control. Remember that the least amount of degradation to
your Nomads true sound will be found in the lower range of the FX MIX pot. Set as close to 10% as possible in order to retain attack and
warmth .
NOTE: Any foreign device connected to this extremely sensitive point between the pre and power stage will change the sound in some
way. The parallel Effects Loop in your Nomad will allow you to use external processing with the least compromise. Effects pedals and
External Pre-amp devices should be used in front of the amp ( Connected to the Input and not in the Effects Loop )
NOTE: Do Not Increase Gain at the Effects Loop Beyond Unity with your processors input or output controls. Doing so will connect input
to output and feedback will occur. If this happens you will need to reduce either or both until unity gain is reached. Certain extreme settings
of GAIN / MASTER Control combinations may not fit the parameters of Send level balance between channels. In such cases try to achieve
the sound in a different channel or sacrifice using the Loop for that particular sound in that channel. If you must for a certain device that you
absolutely have to use, call us and we will send you a pot that may be of some help. Replacing the standard pot will have adverse effect
on the pure un-effected sound of your Nomad.
POWER AMP (Voicing) : Nomad 45 Only This two position toggle switch is a bonus feature and rewards those loyal to the littlest
Nomad...the small but mighty 45. This switch reconfigures the negative feedback circuit of this little dynamo and allows two distinct power
responses from the 4 x EL84 harness. Normal wires in the magic amount of negative feed-
PWR AMP CH3 back, producing a warm, round, bubbly response. This position is where you will find the most
NORMAL balanced clean sounds and vocal overdrive sounds. We would suggest the Normal position
for most of your channel switching needs.
Extreme unleashes the fury of this aggressive mid-wattage power section and allows a
REVERB more traditional Euro style response. The early British EL84 amps barked an urgent, fast
EXTREME attack and screamed with a brash, rebelious nature. Negative feedback is stripped away in
this Extreme rendition to arrive at the most forward of all Nomad personalities. This is espe-
cially showcased in the Normal mode of Channel 1, with the PUSHED Mode adding yet an even nastier realm of aggro edge.
NOTE: A Substantial Volume Increase will Occur When Switched To Extreme. Reduce The Output
Level When Switching To Extreme.
PAGE 16
50 / 100 WATT : (Nomad 100 Only) This is the half power switch found only on the 100 watt Nomad. The two inside power tubes
are put in a standby mode when the 50 watt position is selected reducing the RMS power to approximately 50 watts. This switch may be
operated at any time during performance.
100 WATTS CH3

For optimum performance it is recommended that you change the speaker or cabinet from the 8 ohm
to the 4 ohm jack when switching down to the 50 watt position. This ensures a proper impedance
match by keeping the relative load the same. By doing so a brighter, bouncier response will appear
and the full 50 watts of power will be available to you.
REVERB
50 WATTS If you prefer the fatter, darker nature of the speaker in the 8 ohm jack when in the 50 watt position you
may feel free to use this scenario with no harm to the amplifier.
REVERB: These three rotary controls are responsible for the dry/wet mix of the traditionally rich analog three spring reverb circuit.
Each Channel has a corresponding Reverb Mix Control so that the amount of wet signal can be matched to the style of sound dialed up
in that channel. The REVERB can be remotely bypassed globally ( all channels/modes ) with the Reverb switch on the Footcontroller.
They are placed backwards (3,2,1) on the Rear Panel so that when
100 WATTS CH3 CH2 CH1 playing the amplifier from the front, the REVERB Controls follow the
sequence of the channels...allowing you to reach over and use them
without having to look at them.
REVERB REVERB NOTE: When the Reverb Footswitch is used to disengage the Re-
50 WATTS
8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM verb, a small amount of wet signal can still be heard. To completely
SLAVE
remove the Reverb from the circuit, turn the REVERB Control ( of the
SPKR SPKR
respective channel ) all the way off.
COMBO SPKR USE WITH TWO 8 OHM SPKR TO POWER AMP
SPEAKERS: Three speaker output jacks (1) 1 x 8 ohm and (2) 2 x 4 ohm are provided to interface your Nomad to a variety of speaker
/ cabinet configurations. Nomad self-contained combos use the 8 ohm jack for their output and while this is the proper load, you may
experiment with mismatching ( in the high direction ) with the inability
to produce full power being the only downside. Some players prefer
a mismatch, citing a scoop or softening effect they like better than the
SPKR SPKR
attack and presence of a proper impedance match.
If you wish to add cabinets to your combo or head - you may use
COMBO SPKR USE WITH TWO 8 OHM SPKR TO POWER AMP
either one ( only ) 4 ohm cabinet on the 4 ohm jack leaving the 8 ohm
jack empty or two 8 ohm cabinets each connected to the 4 ohm jacks
thus leaving the 8 ohm jack empty and be assured of a proper match as well as full power capabilities. You may also use a 16 ohm cabinet
on the 8 ohm jack - and a 8 ohm cabinet on a 4 ohm jack ( leaving one 4 ohm jack empty ). This combination would yield the proper
impedance match. See Speaker Impedance Section later in this manual for more information.
NOTE: Nomad 100 owners should put the 8 ohm speaker/cabinet in the 4 ohm jack when switching the 50/100 Power Switch down to
50 watts to ensure a proper impedance match.
PAGE 17
SLAVE: This jack captures a signal directly from the speaker jacks and is padded to provide a way to use the entire sound ( pre-
amp & power stage ) and send it on to other power amplifiers. This enables you to use your Nomad as the master amp in a large venue
rig where multiple amps are used for increased coverage. It also can be used to send a signal on to amp switchers or effects processors.
CH2 CH1 NOTE: Unless SPKR MUTE is selected a load of some kind must be used at all times
to prevent damage to the amplifier. Your warranty does not cover damage inflicted from use of
the amplifier without a load. If a speaker is not possible - use a 4 or 8 ohm resistor of at least a 50 watt
rating. A speaker would be the preferred load as it will react dynamically as it changes in impedence
REVERB
according to frequency.
4 OHM SLAVE
NOTE: The Slave level is determined by the setting of both Channel MASTERS and the OUTPUT
/ SOLO Controls. If an optimum level is not possible due to either extreme or very low performance
levels - you may call us and we will send you a diagram of how to modify the Slave level ratio to your
TO POWER AMP individual needs. Before you do this try it with all the possible ways you may need it in case it is only
one scenario that is compromising. We selected this ratio for normal performance applications and
it should be adequate for most situations.
PAGE 18
CHANNEL 1 - Factory Sample Setting Page
NOTE: All Settings pertain to all Nomad Series amps
CHANNEL 1 - Warm Vintage Clean Neck Single or Humbucker
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN
(NORMAL)
CH1 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE OUTPUT
TREBLE MID BASS SOLO

PUSHED
INPUT
CHANNEL 1 - Hyper Clean Low Output Pick-Ups
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN
(NORMAL)

PUSHED
INPUT
CHANNEL 1 - Twang Strat / Tele Style
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN
(NORMAL)

PUSHED
INPUT
PAGE 19
CHANNEL 1 - Warm & Round Neck Single or Humbucker
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN
(NORMAL)

PUSHED
INPUT
CHANNEL 1 - Old School Most Pick-Ups
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN
(NORMAL)

PUSHED
INPUT
CHANNEL 1 - Classic Rock Rear Humbucker
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN
(NORMAL)

PUSHED
INPUT
PAGE 20
CHANNEL 1 - Agro Crunch Hot Rear Humbucker
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN
(NORMAL)

PUSHED
INPUT
CHANNEL 1 - Fast Track Solo Most Pick-Ups
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN
(NORMAL)

PUSHED
INPUT
CHANNEL 1 - Mid Punch Clean Neck Single
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
CLEAN
(NORMAL)

PUSHED
INPUT
PAGE 21
CHANNEL 2- Fat & Purring Neck
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
VINTAGE
(NORMAL)
CH 2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE OUTPUT

MODERN
CHANNEL 2 - Violin Vibe Most Pick-Ups
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
VINTAGE
(NORMAL)

MODERN
CHANNEL 2 - Pretty Clean & Brown Neck or Multiple
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
VINTAGE
(NORMAL) OUTPUT
CH 2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE
MODERN
PAGE 22
CHANNEL 2- Rotundo Hot Rear Humbucker
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
VINTAGE
(NORMAL)

MODERN
CHANNEL 2 - Edge Most Pick-Ups
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
VINTAGE
(NORMAL)

MODERN
CHANNEL 2 - Agro Solo Hot Rear Humbucker
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
VINTAGE
(NORMAL) OUTPUT
MODERN
PAGE 23
CHANNEL 3 - Mocombo TM Strat, Tele Style
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
MODERN
GAIN MASTER PRESENCE (NORMAL) OUTPUT
CH 3
VINTAGE
CHANNEL 3 - Clean Clone Most Low Output Pick-Ups
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
MODERN
CH 3 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE (NORMAL) OUTPUT
VINTAGE
CHANNEL 3 - Rocked Out Hot Rear Humbucker
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
MODERN
(NORMAL) OUTPUT
VINTAGE
PAGE 24
CHANNEL 3 - Flat Out Hot Rear Humbucker
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
MODERN
GAIN MASTER PRESENCE (NORMAL) OUTPUT
CH 3
VINTAGE
CHANNEL 3 - Blues Punch Most Pick-Ups
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
MODERN
CH 3 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE (NORMAL) OUTPUT
VINTAGE
CHANNEL 3 - Implosion Hot Rear Humbucker
HI VOLTS AC MAINS
ON ON
MODERN
(NORMAL) OUTPUT
VINTAGE
PAGE 25
Nomad 45 TUBE TASK CHART
NOTE: Before changing tubes, turn the POWER SWITCH to the off
position or to STANDBY. CAUTION..Tubes are HOT when they have
View looking down on to chassis (as if looking down through the cabinet) been in use.
Partial View Of Chassis
(Each 12AX7 contains two separate Triodes)
12AX7
B A
B A B A B A B A
V 5 V 4 V 3 V 2 V 1
4 X EL 84
PAGE 26
AC Receptacle
Footswitch DIN plug REAR OF CHASSIS
Description of Tube Functions

V1 A & B = (paralleled) input stage V4 A = 2nd Stage Channel 2 & 3
V2 A = 2nd Stage Channel 1 V4 B = FX Return Stage
V2 B = 3rd Stage Channel 1 V5 A & B = Phase Inverter
V3 A = 4th Stage Channel 2 & 3
V3 B = 3rd Stage Channel 2 & 3
Nomad 55 TUBE TASK CHART position or to STANDBY. CAUTION..Tubes are HOT when they have
been in use.
View looking down on to chassis (as if looking down through the cabinet)
12AX7
B A
B A B A B A B A
V 5 V 4 V 3 V 2 V 1
PAGE 27
6L6 6L6
AC Receptacle

Nomad 100 TUBE TASK CHART position or to STANDBY. CAUTION..Tubes are HOT when they have
been in use.
View looking down on to chassis (as if looking down through the cabinet)
12AX7
B A
B A B A B A B A
V 5 V 4 V 3 V 2 V 1
PAGE 28
AC Receptacle 6L6 6L6 6L6 6L6

TUBE NOISE & MICROPHONICS You may occasionally experience some form of tube noise or microphonics. Certainly no cause
for alarm, this quirky behavior comes with the territory and the Tone. Much like changing a light bulb, you dont need a technician to cure
these types of minor user serviceable annoyances and in fact, youll be amazed at how easy it is to cure tube problems...by simply
swapping out a pre-amp or power tube!
First may we suggest that you set the amplifier up on something so that you can get to the tubes comfortably without having to bend down.
It also helps to have adequate lighting as you will need to see the tube sockets clearly to swap tubes. Use caution and common sense
when touching the tubes after the amplifier has been on as they may be extremely hot! If they are hot and you dont want to wait for them
to cool off, try grasping them with a rag and also note that the glass down around the bulbous silvery tip is considerably less hot which
makes it easier to handle. Gently rock the tube back and forth as you pull it away from its socket.
DIAGNOSING POWER TUBE FAILURES: There are two main types of tube faults: shorts and noise. Both large and small tubes may
fall prey to either of these problems but diagnosis and remedy is usually simple.
If a fuse blows, the problem is most likely a shorted power tube and shorts can either be mild or severe. In a mildly shorted tube the
electron flow has overcome the control grid and excess current flows to the plate. You will usually hear the amp become distorted and
begin to hum slightly. If this occurs, quickly look at the power tubes as you switch the amp to STANDBY and try to identify one as glowing
red hot. It is likely that two of a pair will be glowing since the shorted tube will pull down the bias for its adjacent mates, but one tube may
be glowing hotter and that one is the culprit. The other two are often fine unless theyve been glowing bright red for several minutes.
Because there is no physical short inside the tube (just electrons rioting out of control) merely switching to STANDBY for a few moments
then back to ON will usually cure the problem...at least temporarily. Watch the tubes carefully now. Should the problem recur, the intermit-
tent tube will visibly start to over heat before the others and thus it can be identified. It should be replaced with one from the same color
batch, shown on its label. Call us and we will send one out to you.
The severe short is not nearly so benign. In the worst cases, a major arcing short occurs between the plate and the cathode with visible
lightning inside the glass and a major noise through the speaker. If this is seen to happen, IMMEDIATELY turn the amp to STANDBY. By
this time the fuse probably will have blown. Such a short is usually caused by a physical breakdown inside the tube including contaminate
coming loose or physical contact (or near contact) between the elements. Replace it and the fuse with the proper slo-blo type and power
up the amp using the power up procedure as we described earlier in this manual.
TUBE NOISE: Often caused by contamination within in a tube, the culprit can usually be identified, and by lightly tapping on the glass,
you will probably hear the noise change. Hearing some noise through the speakers while tapping on the 12AX7s is normal however. And
the one nearer the INPUT will always sound louder because its output is being further amplified by the second 12AX7.
The power tubes should be all but quiet when they are tapped. If crackling or hissing changes with the tapping, you have probably found
the problem. To confirm a noisy power tube, merely put the Nomad on Standby, remove it from its socket and turn it back on. It will cause
no damage to run the Nomad briefly with one power tube missing. You may notice a slight background hum, however, as the push-pull
becomes unbalanced. Whenever you are trying to diagnose a suspect tube, keep your other hand on the POWER and STANDBY switches
ready to shut them off instantly in the unlikely case you provoke a major short.
If you think youve located a problem tube but arent sure, we recommend substituting the suspect with a new one just to be sure of your
diagnoses. You will be doing yourself and us a big favor by just following the simple guidelines previously mentioned regarding tube
replacement. Youll probably be successful with much less effort than is required to disconnect everything and haul the unit to a technician
who will basically perform the same simple tests. If the tubes are still within their six-month warranty period, we will happily send you a
replacement. Just note the color designation on the tube label so that we can send you the appropriate match.
PAGE 29
DIAGNOSING PRE-AMP TUBE PROBLEMS: Because your amplifier is an all tube design, it is quite possible that you will at some
point experience minor pre-amp tube noise. Rest assured - this is no cause for alarm and you can take care of the problem yourself in
a matter of minutes by simply swapping tubes.
Let us begin by saying; It is a very good idea to keep at least a couple of spare pre-amp tubes on hand at all times to insure uninter-
rupted performance. These minor pre-amp tube problems can take many forms but can generally be described in two categories:
Noise and Microphonics. Noise can be in the form of crackling, sputtering, white noise/hiss and/or hum. Microphonic problems usually
appear in the form of a ringing or high pitched squealing that gets worse as the gain or volume is increased thus are more noticeable in
the higher gain HI modes. Microphonic problems are easily identified because the problem is still present even with the instruments
volume off or unplugged altogether - unlike pick-up feedback which ceases as the instrument is turned down. Microphonic noise is
caused by mechanical vibration and shock: think of banging a microphone around and youll understand where the word came from.
The best way to approach a pre-amp tube problem is to see if it occurs only in one specific mode or channel. This should lead you to
the tube needing replacement. Then all that remains is to swap the suspect tube for a known good performer.
If you cannot narrow down the trouble to a specific mode or channel, the problem may be the small tube that drives the power tubes
which is operational in all modes and channels. Though rare, a problem with the driver tube would show up in all aspects of perfor-
mance - so if you cant narrow the problem down to being mode or channel specific, you may want to try replacing the driver tube.
Driver problems generally show themselves in the form of crackling or hum in all modes of performance and/or weak overall output
from the amplifier. Occasionally an anemic driver tube will cause the amplifier to sound flat and lifeless, but this is somewhat uncom-
mon, as worn power tubes are a more likely suspect for this type of problem.
Sometimes making the diagnosis is more trouble than its worth and its faster and easier to merely replace the small pre-amp tubes
ONE AT A TIME with a replacement known to be good. But MAKE SURE you keep returning the tubes to their original socket until you
hit the one that cures the problem. Youll notice that tubes located nearer to the INPUT jack always sound noisier...but this is because
they are at the start of the chain and their noise gets amplified over and over by the tubes that follow. The tube that goes into this input
socket (usually labeled V1) needs to be the least noisy of the bunch. The tube that goes at the end of the preamp chain - just ahead of
the power tubes - can be quite noisy without causing any problem at all. The tubes in your amp have already been located in the most
appropriate sockets and this is why you should NEVER pull them all out at once and ALWAYS swap them one at a time. ALWAYS
return a perfectly good tube to its original socket. Also its a good idea to put the amp on STANDBY when swapping tubes to reduce the
heat build up in the tubes themselves and to prevent explosive noises (which can still occur even if you are pulling the tubes away from
their sockets gently) from coming through the speaker.
Remember, take your time, be patient and chances are real good that you can fix your amp yourself by finding and replacing the bad
tube. It kills us to see someone who has shipped their amp back to us...and all it needed was a simple tube replacement! If you must
send back your amp, unplug the power cord, speaker and reverb cables then remove the chassis from the cabinet by unscrewing the
four mounting bolts on top. The chassis then slides back like a drawer and comes out. Remove the big power tubes and mark them
according to their location from left to right 1, 2 etc. They need to be wrapped separately with plenty of wadded up newspaper around
them and put in a smaller box within the larger carton.
To wrap the chassis, use plenty of tightly wadded up newspaper so there is at least six inches of crush space between the chassis
and the cardboard box. Bubble wrap also works well, but please DONT use styrene peanuts - they will shift during transit and get
lodged inside your electronics as well as allowing your amp to end up at the bottom of the box unprotected and possibly damaged. Pre-
amp tubes dont normally wear out as a rule.
Therefore, it is not a good idea to change them just for the sake of changing them. If there isnt a problem - dont fix it. If there is no
result from your substitutions, it may be possible that you have more than one problematic tube. Though rare, this does happen and
though it makes the troubleshooting process a little more intimidating, it is still possible to cure the problem yourself.
NOTE: It is normal to hear a slight metallic ringing sound when tapping on the preamp tubes. As long as the tube does not break into
oscillation or start crackling or any other form of bizzare noise, it is considered normal and functional.
PAGE 30
BIAS ADJUSTMENT: (Part of a continuous series)
BEAM-
An Article written by Randall Smith that CONFINING
ELECTRODE ( )
we thought you might find interesting. CATHODE ( )
GRID ( , )
..
SCREEN .....
Heres a question we often hear: GRID ( ) ..
.. PLATE
.. ( , )
...
.
....
Why doesnt Mesa put bias adjustments
in their amplifiers?
Well, theres a short answer and a long answer to this question. Structure of a 6L6 / 5881
Beam Power Pentode.
The short answer is that during my 12 years of repairing Fenders, one of the most frequent problems I saw was bias controls that were
either set wrong or that had wandered out of adjustment due to vibration. As any honest tech will tell you, theres lots of easy money to
be made by sprinkling holy water on amplifiers ... uh, what I meant to say is Your amp needed biasing. See what I mean? What
customer is going to argue with that?
It only takes a moment and a volt meter: The Fender diagram shows how: Adjust this trim pot for - 52 volts. Thats it. Nothing more.
Now dont be fooled into thinking that tubes draw more or less bias, they dont. The way a bias supply is connected to a tube is akin to
a dead end road, it just trails off to nowhere without really completing a circuit. Its a static voltage and regardless of what tube is in the
socket or even if the tubes arent plugged in at all, it doesnt change the bias voltage a bit.
So the end of the short answer is this: Since a bias supply needs to put out the right voltage and never vary, I wanted to build amplifi-
ers that were individually hard wired to the correct values and NEVER needed adjustment. And for 25 years, thats how Mesa/Boogies
have been built.
Time to change tubes? Just plug our tubes into any one of our amps and youre DONE. No tech needed. NO bills and no BS about
biasing. And most important: The bias is RIGHT because it cant change!
Now, you want the long answer? Heres more information on how our hard-wired bias avoids trouble. Please read on.
But first, lets make an important distinction. Our business is designing and building high performance amplifiers. And for this we need
tubes whose variance is within a narrow range. Our warehouse is full of rejects ...oh, they work they just dont perform within our
tolerance range. We have a very sophisticated computer - based tube testing system (nicknamed Robotube) that matches and
measures tubes over seven important parameters. It can even predict which tubes are likely to have a shortened lifetime even
though they work perfectly during the test.
Because our business is building quality amps, we can afford to reject a lot of wayward tubes. The guys you hear complaining because
Boogies dont have bias adjusters are primarily in the business of selling tubes - not amps. They dont want to throw away 30 percent of
their inventory, so they promote the idea that tubes outside our parameters can be used to customize amplifiers and they criticize us
because our amps cant be adjusted to accommodate their out-of-Mesa tolerance tubes.
Now you might be thinking, But I thought you just said that tubes dont draw bias, therefore they dont effect the bias supply and thus
it doesnt need to be adjustable.
When you set the bias (whether its by selecting the right resistors, as we do, or adjusting a trimmer which is quicker) what you are
doing is establishing the correct amount of idle CURRENT that flows through the power tubes. But you cant adjust the current directly,
you can only change it by adjusting the amount of bias VOLTAGE that goes onto the tubes control grids.
Voltage and current are NOT the same. Current is the AMOUNT of electricity, the quantity and is measured in amperes. Voltage is
the degree of electric charge like the pressure to use the old water analogy. Let me illustrate how different voltage and current are:
PAGE 31
BIAS ADJUSTMENT: (Continued) When you scrape your feet across a carpetted floor in dry, wintery conditions, your body can
become charged with 50,000 to 100,000 volts of static electricity. And when you reach for the door knob, a spark jumps and you feel it!
The voltage is super high but the current (measured in micro-amps) is tiny - otherwise you would die from electrocution.
Contrast this with your car battery, which puts out a mere 12 volts. You can lay your hands right across the terminals and not feel a
thing. Yet the amount of current available can run to several hundred amperes .. enough to turn over a cold engine and get it started.
So current and voltage are two totally separate electrical parameters though when you multiply them together, you get POWER,
which is measured in watts.
When you set the bias of an amplifier, you are adjusting the static VOLTAGE at the control grid of the tube in order to produce a desired
amount of idle CURRENT flowing to the tubes plate. A small change in grid voltage, produces a large change in the amount of current
flowing and thats basically how a tube works. Say that again because its super important: A small change in voltage at the grid
causes a large change in current flowing to the plate. See, thats the essence of amplification: A small change causing a large change.
And here its a small voltage change causing a large current change.
The bias conditions are what determines how much current flows through the big power tubes when youre not playing. And what
drives your speakers is flucuations in that current flow when are ARE playing. If the amount of current increases and decreases 440
times per second, then youll hear an A note. If the fluctions in current flow are large and still at 440 per second, youll hear an A that is
LOUD!
But for purposes of biasing, its the amount of plate current flowing with no signal applied thats important. Unfortunately current is
hard to measure because the circuit must be interuppted as in cut the wire and the meter spliced in series with the broken
circuit. But measuring VOLTAGE is easy. It is not necessary to interrupt the circuit because a voltage reading can be taken in PARAL-
LEL with the circuit intact.
Thus, as a matter of convenience, most bias settings are given in volts at the grid ... even though current through the plate is the
important factor. In fact plate current is so inconvenient (and dangerous) to measure that Fender doesnt even state what the correct
value should be. They only give the grid voltage that will produce that current. (Thats the minus 52.) But that only happens if the
tubes being used are in spec.
As long as the tubes ARE in spec, the right bias voltage will always give the correct plate CURRENT but then theres no need for
the bias voltage to be adjustable!
If the tubes are NOT in spec, then the only proper way to re-set the bias is to cut the circuit and measure the current while adjusting the
bias ... but no manufacturer I know even STATES the desired current value! Be that as it may, when the original bias voltage is altered
far enough, it will compensate for the tubes abnormal performance and the correct amount of idle current flow may then be restored.
Clearly this is something most repair techs should not attempt.
Some newer amps have LED indicators connected to the circuit which will turn on when the right threshold of current flow has been
reached. This is an improvement, and almost worthy if youre willing to except resistors and lights added into your amplifiers audio
path which we arent. The other advantage of this system is that it allows some amp manufacturers to avoid matching their power
tubes. The thinking is that adjusting the bias to each tube separately eradicates the inherent differences between the tubes by insuring
that the same current flows through each one.
Again, this has some merit .. but its still not as good as using tubes that are matched in the first place because compensating for the
mis-match causes the push-pull circuit itself to become unbalanced. Two wrongs dont really make a right.
Some of the other recommended biasing, methods such as -.. tubes running red hot, increase the bias .. sounds harsh and runs
too cool, turn it down ... are guesswork at best. Luckily, one of the great things about tube amps is that they can usually stand some
abuse without causing any real harm ... at least not immediately.
PAGE 32
BIAS ADJUSTMENT: (Continued) But dont these alterations imply that you are second-guessing the amp designer and that
theres a better set of operating conditions that the designer missed but the tube sellers have discovered?
Now some players may like the sound of their amp altered by tubes with extreme characteristics and with the bias set to help compen-
sate. But often it is the mere novelty of change that theyre really responding to and when the amp goes back to the proper original
way, weve seen them be far happier still!
Because every part in every one of our designs has been meticulously evaluated, compared and stressed over no matter how
seemingly insignificant it might be. And with every design we look for a sweet spot where all the parameters including the bias
come together to give the best sonic performance, consistently and reliably. Every part and voltage is important yet no one com-
plains that these other parameters arent available for tinkering.
Consider our patented Simul-Class circuitry where there are two different bias voltages used for separate pairs of power tubes ... and
changing one voltage also changes the other. Great care goes into getting this just right and we think wed be asking for trouble to
have it adjustable for the world to play with ... unless you like paying to have your amp messed up. Sorry, I meant to say, Uh, ... your
amp needed biasing.
If that doesnt appeal to you, then merely plug a matched set of Mesa tubes into one of our amps and youre ready for tone. Guaran-
teed. Youd be amazed at the number of service calls we field every day that lead to a diagnosis of out-of-tolerance, non-spec tube
problems. To think these would be prevented by including a bias adjustment is something of an insult to you and us. If you put the
wrong size tires on your car, do you think changing the pressure will make them right?
Please, dont think this is a blanket indictment of the other guys selling tubes it isnt. And their tubes arent all bad either. It just
doesnt make sense to pay more of your hard earned cash for tubes that were probably made in the same Russian or Chinese factory
and which have the possibility of being outside the performance window we select for your amp. And it pains us to hear the hype and
mystique built up around biasing when twenty-five years of evidence affirms our decision to make bias circuits that never need
adjustment. How much money and trouble that has saved Mesa/Boogie players you couldnt estimate.
Our rigorously tested and hand selected tubes are available at your nearest Mesa/Boogie Pro Center or from us directly. Nobody
offers better price, quality or warranty than we do ... so why swerve?
Next time well talk about our part in developing the great Sylvania STR 415 type 6 6 and how were on the verge of seeing something
fairly close reappear on the market. Remember, we still have some of these super rugged mondo-bottles available for older amps
Boogies only please! Until then, Relax, Breathe and Nourish your soul!
Cheers!
Mesa/Boogie Ltd.
Randall Smith
Designer & President
PAGE 33
SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING & HOOK-UP GUIDE:
IMPEDANCE: Wiring up speakers to provide the most effective load and making sure that all of them are in phase will help in creating
the best sound possible. This is not too difficult, as long as you understand a few things about loading and how to connect your speakers
to provide an optimal resistive load.
Mesa Boogie amplifiers can handle 4 and 8 ohms effectively. Never run below 4 ohms in a tube amplifier unless you are absolutely certain
that the system can handle it properly; this can cause damage to the Output transformer. A few amplifiers can handle 2 ohms effectively
without damaging them ( for example the Mesas Bass 400+ ). You can always have a higher resistance ( 16 ohms, for example ) without
damaging results, but too low of a resistance will likely cause problems.
MIS-MATCHING: When running a higher resistance ( for example: 8 ohm output into 16 ohm cabinet ), a slightly different feel and
response will be eminent. A slight mismatch can provide a darker smoother tone with a little less output and attack. This response is a
result of the amplifier running a bit cooler. Sometimes when using more than one cabinet a mismatch will be the only option.
WHAT IS MY CABINETS IMPEDANCE: If you have only a single speaker, you just match that single speakers impedance to the
amplifier, and you are done. In many cases, you will have a number of speakers, and then you must calculate the load that the amplifier
will need to support. There are generally three ways to wire multiple speakers together. They are as follows:
SERIES: When you wire ( hook-up ) speakers in Series, the speakers resistance ( as measured in ohms ) is additive - i.e. putting two
8 ohm speakers in Series results in a 16 ohm load.
POSITIVE = NEGATIVE =
SHA SHA
CK CK Made by
DOW
Made by
DOW
BLA
Electro-Voice
BLA
Electro-Voice
Speaker A = 8 Ohms Speaker B = 8 Ohms

SERIES: Connect the Negative side of Speaker A
to the Positive side of Speaker B
PAGE 34
SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING & HOOK-UP GUIDE: (Continued)
PARALLEL: When wiring in parallel, the resistance of the speakers decreases. Two 8 ohm speakers wired in ( hooked-up ) Parallel
results in a 4 ohm load. Its easy to calculate the effect of a resistive load when all the speakers are all the same resistance. It is really not
suggested to wire different resistive load values in Parallel ( 8 and 4, 16 and 8 etc. ) The formula for figuring the total impedance in Parallel
is the multiplication of the two loads divided by the sum of the two loads - i.e. putting two 8 ohm speakers in Parallel results in a 4 ohm load.
Connect the Positive side of Speaker A to the Positive side of Speaker B - Connect the Negative side of Speaker A to the Negative side of
Speaker B.
Speaker A Speaker B
8 Ohms 8 Ohms
NEGATIVE
POSITIVE
Total Load = 4 Ohms
COMBINATION OF SERIES & PARALLEL: This is really just two sets of Parallel wired speakers connected in series. This is how
you maintain a consistent load with multiple speakers. The importance of this is more evident when you have more than one cabinet to
connect to your amplifier. This is when
you need to figure out the loads and how
SPEAKER A SPEAKER B
to wire them up without applying too low
of a resistance on the amplifier.
SHA SHA Simply connect the Positive side of

CK CK Made by
DOW
Speaker A to the Positive side of Speaker

BLA
Made by Electro-Voice
DOW
BLA
Electro-Voice
C.
Connect the Negative side of Speaker A

to the Positive side of Speaker B, then
All 4 Spkrs. on to the Positive side of Speaker D and
are 8 Ohms finally on to the Negative side of Speaker
SPEAKER C C.
SPEAKER D
And lastly, connect the Negative side of

SHA Speaker B to the Negative side of
CK Made by K SHA
CElectro-Voice Speaker D.
DOW
Made by
DOW
BLA
Electro-Voice
BLA
4 Eight ( 8 ) Ohm speakers wired in Se-

ries Parallel = a Total Load of 8 Ohms.
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE
PAGE 35
1 WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets 2
Partial back view of amplifier Partial back view of amplifier
8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM
8 Ohm Cabinet
3
Partial back view of
some Mesa amp
8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM
MATCH
4 OhmCORRECT
Cabinet MISMATCH
4 5
8 Ohm Cabinet
SAFE MISMATCH
16 Ohm Cabinet
16 Ohm Cabinet SAFE MISMATCH
PAGE 36
6 WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets 7
CORRECT CORRECT
MATCH MATCH
8 Ohm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet

SAFE MISMATCH
8 9
CORRECT CORRECT
MATCH MATCH
8 Ohm 8 Ohm
SERIES BOX PARALLEL BOX
4 Ohm 4 Ohm 16 Ohm 16 Ohm
4 Ohm Cabinet 4 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet

PAGE 37
WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets
10 Partial back view of amplifier
4 OHM 4 OHM 8 OHM 16 Ohm
SERIES BOX
8 Ohm 8 Ohm
8 Ohm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet

SAFE MISMATCH
11 12
Partial back view of amplifier Partial back view of amp
4 OHM 4 OHM 8 OHM
CORRECT MATCH 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM
8 Ohm
PARALLEL BOX
16 Ohm 16 Ohm
8 Ohm Cabinet
16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet

CORRECT MATCH 16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet
PAGE 38
WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets

16 Ohm 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 OHM
SERIES BOX
8 Ohm 8 Ohm

SAFE MISMATCH

8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM
8 Ohm
PARALLEL BOX
16 Ohm 16 Ohm

SAFE MISMATCH
PAGE 39
ON TRIODES, PENTODES & IRISHMEN: A look into the inner workings of the Vacumm Tube
With apologies to Friends and Relatives from the Emerald Isle - who will make their appearance soon enough - the humor which follows
is dedicated to the memories of Spec McAuliff and Fae (Rafael) McNally, two of the True Greats.
As their numerical references suggest, the terms Diode, Triode and Pentode indicate the number of elements within the vacuum tube i.e.
two, three or five. All tubes also require a filament or heater which is not included in the count. Its purpose is to excite electrons from the
cathode coating by raising the temperature such that they are able to boil out of the electron-rich coating material and form a cloud of free
electrons in the vacuum space surrounding the cathode.
Although the term filament and heater are often used interchangeably, there are specific differences: A filament is a directly heated
cathode where cathode coating is applied directly to the heating element. Examples are 5U4 twin diode rectifier and 300B triode amplifier
tubes.
A heater, on the other hand, is a heating element which is separate from the cathode and is usually inserted within the tubular cathode
sleeve. Examples are 12AX7 twin triode amplifier and 6V6 or EL84 beam power pentode tubes. In all cases this fundamental aspect of
each tubes construction is clearly visible, especially when the heating element is glowing red hot.
The cathode, then, would be considered the first numbered element because it is the source of the electrons. The word itself is from the
Greek literally meaning completely down, which implies a sense of central origin - like the center of the earth where Tone begins. It might
be said that an ecstatic audiophile experiences a positive catharsis, his soul being purified when his system transports him to Audio
Nirvana. The only trouble with taking this positive imagery too far is that the cathode is, unfortunately, negative... at least electrically
speaking. However this is easily remembered since virtually all musicians and audiophiles have also experienced the more common
negative catharsis when they emerge from the emotional rebirth kicking and screaming in rage and frustration.
Once heated, the intrinsically negative electrons are energetic little fellows of almost no mass. Thus they may be accelerated almost
instantaneously and will travel through a vacuum a nearly the speed of light. Being of like, negative charge, they tend to repel one another
and thus within the electron cloud surrounding the cathode, there is much jostling and elbowing as each one tries to maintain his distance
from all the others... unless there is a strong and universal attraction from an outside influence.
Visualize, if you will, a group of sub-atomic Irishmen milling about and in a repellent, negative state of mind. All are scowling and none
wants to have anything to do with the other. Now introduce a strong attraction say, a public bar, and you can easily picture an orderly, if
rapid movement of the lot in a single direction. This is what happens when a positively charged element called the anode or plate is
introduced into the vacuum.
The plate is the large metal element most prominently visible through the glass of an electron tube. It is the outermost element of a tubes
structure and it surrounds all the others. The cathode is at the center radiating electrons outwards. As higher and higher positive voltage
is applied to the plate, the attraction for the electrons surrounding the cathode is increased and with nothing standing in the way, full
uninhibited flow to the plate occurs... sort of like removing the doors and offering free drinks to the crowd of
surly Irishmen milling around outside. As electrons flow to the plate, the space charge will continually be replenished by further boiling of
the hot, electron-rich cathode as you can easily imagine other Irishmen impatiently taking up the places of those whove gone inside - until
the entire village is deserted.
Now, where do they come from and how do they emerge? Well, a grand and elegant lady once showed me how to revive flat champagne:
She dropped a raisin into the glass. There was a dramatic and immediate increase in effervescence with the introduction of a cathoding
surface. Thousands of tiny bubbles suddenly appeared - and continued to flow from the raisin. Of course the bubbles were made up of gas
dissolved in the beverage, but the analogy makes it easy to visualize the loosely bound electrons dissolved in the rich cathode coating as
they effervesce from its heated surface.
But back to the electron flow. If the electrons are strongly attracted to a positively charged plate, then it follows that they are strongly
repelled by a negatively charged plate and they are. Thus, if an alternating current - such as comes from a transformer - is applied to the
plate, electrons will flow only during the times when the plate is positively charged. During periods of negative plate charge, electron flow
is stopped and the space charge of electrons remains compressed in the area around the cathode.
PAGE 40
ON TRIODES, PENTODES & IRISHMEN: ( Continued )
Thus a diode tube - one with a cathode and an anode - is mostly used to rectify alternating current into direct current by passing it without
restriction, but in one direction only. This also explains why closing time is stricly enforced at Irish pubs: During normal operation, the traffic
flow is similarily unimpeded and uni-directional toward the bar and this process rectifies the work-day negativity. It goes without saying that
no one leaves as long as the atmosphere around the bar remains positively charged.
TRIODES: This section is a continuing technical treatise on the workings of Irish Pubs but to make it easier for the layman to
understand, it is explained in terms of vacuum tube technology. Enter the original bar - free beer and no doors. Well, it turns out that some
control over the flow can be a necessary and useful advantage. This led to the invention of those swinging louvered saloon doors which
are open at the top and bottom. They are patterned after the control grid of the vacuum tube, which is a loosely wound coil of thin wire
located between the cathode and the plate.
In a Triode the plate is always positively charged with high voltage D.C. and even though the grid is blocking the path, those negative
electrons can still FEEL the strong attraction - just as the Irishmen can see in through the louvers of the bar doors. They know what
pleasures lie beyond, but to get there requires overcoming the negative influences controlling the access. This negative influence is
typically called a Bias. In electronic terms that means the grid is supplied with a voltage which is slightly MORE NEGATIVE than the
already negative electrons. The more negative the Bias, the more it tends to neutralize the attraction of the plate and repel the electrons
back toward the cathode.
The Irish can be similarily charged with Bias, but unless you are Irish yourself, this type of Biasing may be more difficult to understand. The
effect is similar though: The more negative the Bias, the more it impedes forward progress. Generally speaking though, the electronic Bias
of the grid is easiert to overcome, and for two main reasons: First, the Bias is set - like the bar doors - to allow some passage. Second, the
grid is mostly NOT THERE, like the louvered doors which are mostly open spaces. Unlike the plate which is solid, the grid is like a coiled
bed spring. It can create a repelling field but mostly its empty space in between widely seperated windings of wire. Its very easy to control
the electrons as they pass through the grids force field: Changing the grid voltage only slightly will have an enormous effect on how much
current flows through... and thats what AMPLIFICATION is: a small change in voltage at the grid causing a large change in current flowing
to the plate.
The purpose of the louvered bar doors is similar to that of the grid, namely, to give momentary pause while still revealing the promise
within. Hesitation mostly gives way to temptation, but there are those few stalwart Irishmen who think twice and decide to come back later.
Most just pause slightly then go on through. That is the purpose of the bar doors: to prevent everyone from crowding in all at once - and as
the door is made less of a barrier, wider spaces between the louvers, more of the bars attractive influence is felt outside thus amplifying
the customer flow and increasing the crowd at the bar.
PENTODES: Occasionally though, bar doors - even the louvered type - were found to be too effective, and too many customers turned
away. Something further was needed to increase the attraction of the bar and overcome the resistance created by the door. Thus the
cocktail waitress was invented.
Once again the idea was inspired by the vacuum tube. It had been discovered in some tubes, often large power types, that the distance to
the plate was too great to attract enough electrons past the negative influence of the control grid. So another grid coil of fine wire was
inserted between the first grid and the plate. This was called the screen grid and carrying a highly positive charge, it functioned as a bait
for the plate.
In a properly designed power tube such as an EL84 or a 6V6, the windings of the screen grid are precisely aligned to fall in the shadow of
the control grid. This way the electrons responding to the pull of the screen grid are lined up in sheets as they pass between windings of
the inner control grid... only to find that they have been fooled! Once past the control grid and drawn toward the screen grid, they
discover...theres almost nothing there. The path theyre on has them aligned to zing straight through the spaces BETWEEN screen grid
windings. So rather than a close and personal encounter, they just fly on past - and once theyre out that far, theres no stopping them. The
influence of the plate takes over and - being solid metal and of the highest positive attraction - it is at this final destination that the electrons
congregate.
PAGE 41
PENTODES: (Continued) Thus the proper cocktail waitress - visible through the louvers - is scantily clad so as to be all the more
effective at reinforcing the attractive influence of her bar and by being located in between the door and the bar, she serves as bait to lure
customers past the doors negative influence. Once through the door however, it is the rare Irishman who actually comes in personal
contact with the cocktail waitress as, for all intents and purposes, she - like the screen grid - turns out to be a vanishing illusion. Yet, having
come this far, the solid influence of the bar itself now takes over and attracts the customers to congregate, having happily reached their
destination.
If youre still following this and havent lost track of the count, youll know were still one element short of the five needed to make a
Pentode. This last part is a pair of beam-confining shields which being negatively charged, serve to direct the flow right toward the plate.
This is much the way a short entrance hall to the bar prevents wandering accidentally into the Mens room on the way.
Once at the bar though, the circuit is complete and the process of soul-nourishing works its ritual magic. Biases having been overcome,
illusory nightingales having vanished, the spirits truly soar and the once surly Irishmen now are filled with warmth, wit and kindred friend-
ship, enjoying the music and glowing nicely with their heaters on.
With appreciative thanks to the inhabitants of the Land of the Leprechaun, we have now concluded our little diversion into the mechanics
of proper bar lay-out.
A feature article by Randall Smith

Designer / President
PAGE 42
ALL KNOBS SWITCH
pt# 408200 KNOBS pt# 408200 pt# 601073
JACK SWITCH pt# 607101 SWITCH

pt# 610120 SWITCH pt# 607101 SWITCH pt# 607101 pt# 601073
POT pt POT pt HI VOLTS AC MAINS

POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt OUTPUT ON ON
SOLO
592739 592150 592792 592739 592151 592150 592739 592150 592150
CH1 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH3 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE POT pt POT pt
592151 592148
INPUT POT pt POT pt
POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt
592148 592736 592148 592738 592737 592739 592738 592737 592739
EL-84
45 DYNA-WATT
LED pt# 395550 LED pt# 395530 LED pt# 395520 LIGHT BULB
pt# 703120
REAR PANEL Nomad 45
PAGE 43
FUSE ALL 3 KNOBS pt# 408200
KNOB pt# 790347
pt# 408121 KNOB pt# 408200 SWITCH pt# 607101
CH2 CH3 NOMAD ALL TUBE AMPLIFIER HANDBUILT IN PETALUMA, CA PWR AMP CH3 CH2 CH1
NORMAL
CH1 FTSW
SWITCH POT pt
FUSE POT pt POT pt POT pt
pt 608210 592737 592151 592151 592151
POWER FUSE
120V 2A
2 A SB 10% FX MIX 100%
EXTREME
50-60 Hz SLO
SPKR ON SPKR SPKR
JACK pt # 618354 JACK pt# 618355 SPEAKER JACKS

(all 3) pt# 618355
MINI TOGGLE JACK pt # 618355
SWITCH pt # 607200 JACK pt# 618355
ALL KNOBS SWITCH
pt# 408200 KNOBS pt# 408200 pt# 601073
JACK SWITCH pt# 607101 SWITCH

pt# 610120 SWITCH pt# 607101 SWITCH pt# 607101 pt# 601073
POT pt POT pt POT pt HI VOLTS AC MAINS

POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt ON ON
592739 592150 592792 592739 592151 592150 592739 592150 592150 592151
CH1 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH3 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE OUTPUT
INPUT POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt
592148 592736 592148 592738 592737 592739 592738 592737 592739 592148
LED pt# 395550 LED pt# 395530 LED pt# 395520 LIGHT LENS LIGHT BULB
pt# 703783 pt# 703850
REAR PANEL Nomad 55
PAGE 44
FUSE ALL 3 KNOBS pt# 408200
KNOB pt# 790347
pt# 408121 KNOB pt# 408200
CH2 CH3 NOMAD ALL TUBE AMPLIFIER HANDBUILT IN PETALUMA, CA CH3 CH2 CH1
CH1 FTSW
SWITCH POT pt
FUSE POT pt POT pt POT pt
pt 608210 592737 592151 592151 592151
POWER FUSE
120V 2A
2 A SB 10% FX MIX 100%
50-60 Hz SLO
SPKR ON SPKR SPKR

(all 3) pt# 618355
MINI TOGGLE JACK pt # 618355
SWITCH pt # 607200 JACK pt# 618355
FRONT PANEL Nomad 100 EQ SLIDER
ALL KNOBS SWITCH
pt# 408200 BUTTON pt# 408535 SWITCH pt# 601073
SWITCH pt# 607101 pt# 607101
JACK SWITCH pt# 607101
SWITCH
pt# 610120 SWITCH pt# 607101 pt# 601073
POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt HI VOLTS AC MAINS
592739 592150 592792 592739 592151 592150 592739 592150 592150 592151 ON ON
CLEAN VINTAGE MODERN 0EQ
(NORMAL) (NORMAL) (NORMAL) IN
CH1 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH2 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE CH3 GAIN MASTER PRESENCE OUTPUT
TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS EQ SOLO
PUSHED FTSW
MODERN VINTAGE
INPUT POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt
POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt
592148 592736 592148 592738 592737 592739 592738 592737 592739 80 240 750 2200 6600 592148
LED pt# 395550 LED pt# 395530 LED pt# 395520

LIGHT LENS LIGHT BULB
pt# 703783 pt# 703850
REAR PANEL Nomad 100
PAGE 45
SWITCH pt# 602000
SWITCH pt# 607101
FUSE KNOB ALL 3 KNOBS pt# 408200
pt# 408121 KNOB pt# 408200
pt# 790347
CH2 CH3 CAUTION ! NOMAD ALL TUBE AMPLIFIER HANDBUILT IN PETALUMA, CA CH3 CH2 CH1
CH1 FTSW 100 WATTS
SWITCH
POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt
pt # 608210
592737 592151 592151 592151
6L6 BIAS EL34 10% 100% 50 WATTS
FUSE
3 A SB SPKR ON SPKR SPKR
SPKR MUTE not expose this unit to rain or moisture.No
user-serviceable parts inside. Refer user-serviceable parts inside. Refer
servicing to qualified personnel.
servicing to qualified personnel.
RECORDING SEND RETURN COMBO SPKR USE WITH TWO 8 OHM SPKR TO POWER AMP

MINI TOGGLE (all 3) pt# 618355
SWITCH pt # 607200 JACK pt # 618355
JACK pt# 618355
MESA BOOGIE
Thank you for trusting MESA/Boogie to be your amplifier

company and we wish you many years of toneful enjoyment from
this handbuilt all tube instrument.
(707) 778-6565 FAX NO. (707) 765-1503

1317 Ross Street Petaluma, CA 94954
USA

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Owner's Manual

The Spirit of Art in Technology

1317 Ross Street Petaluma, CA 94954

USE COMMON SENSE AND ALWAYS OBSERVE THESE PRECAUTIONS:

Do not expose amplifier to moisture, rain or water, direct sunlight or ex-

Always insure that amplifier is properly grounded.

Always unplug AC power cord before changing fuse or any tubes.

When replacing fuse, use only same type and rating.

Avoid direct contact with heated tubes.

Insure adequate air circulation behind amplifier.

Keep amplifier away from children.

Be sure to connect to an AC power supply that meets the power supply

Do not use excessive force in handling control buttons, switches and

YOUR AMPLIFIER IS LOUD! EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND VOLUMES MAY CAUSE

READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF PROPER USAGE.

FRONT PANEL CONTROLS & SWITCHES

REAR PANEL CONTROL, SWITCHES & JACKS

Footswitch Connect, Fuse & Rotary Channel Select _________________________________________ 14

NOMAD Showing all 3 Channels

CLEAN VINTAGE MODERN

TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS

NOMAD Showing all 3 Channels (partial views)

CLEAN VINTAGE MODERN

CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 2 CHANNEL 3

Models: 45, 55 & 100

FRONT VIEW Nomad 45

REAR VIEW Nomad 45

POWER FUSE REVERB

FRONT PANEL Nomad 55

REAR PANEL Nomad 55

FRONT PANEL Nomad 100

REAR VIEW Nomad 100

CAUTION ! CH3 CH2 CH1

10% FX MIX 100% 50 WATTS REVERB REVERB

FUSE 6L6 BIAS EL34

Tips for the Desert:

Quick Demo Settings:

Channel 1 NORMAL Clean Channel 1 PUSHED Crunch

INPUT PUSHED INPUT PUSHED

Channel 2 VINTAGE Purring Blues Channel 2 MODERN Liquid Grind

TREBLE MID BASS TREBLE MID BASS

Channel 3 MODERN Spank Blues Channel 3 VINTAGE Violin Gain

1) By itself the GAIN Control has basically three tonal regions -

2.) GAIN - In conjunction with the Tone Controls -

Lower PRESENCE Control settings darken and, in fact compress

CH1 GAIN MASTER

1. The fabled "V" shape ( Most Popular )

80 240 750 2200 6600 80 240 750 2200 6600

80 240 750 2200 6600 80 240 750 2200 6600

10% FX MIX 100% 50 WATTS REVERB REVERB

FUSE 6L6 BIAS EL34

3.) Select the desired Channel or Feature.

Using 2 good quality sheilded cables of the shortest possible length -

100 WATTS CH3

COMBO SPKR USE WITH TWO 8 OHM SPKR TO POWER AMP

CHANNEL 1 - Warm Vintage Clean Neck Single or Humbucker

TREBLE MID BASS SOLO

CHANNEL 1 - Hyper Clean Low Output Pick-Ups

TREBLE MID BASS SOLO

CHANNEL 1 - Twang Strat / Tele Style

TREBLE MID BASS SOLO

CHANNEL 1 - Warm & Round Neck Single or Humbucker

TREBLE MID BASS SOLO

CHANNEL 1 - Old School Most Pick-Ups